Prefabricated masonry firebox



Aug. 12, 1969 c. R. BRYANT PREFABRICATED MASONRY FIREBOX 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 Filed Sept. 11, 1967 Charles R- Bryant IN VIENTOR BY gym! Mfin'm Aug. 12, 1969 c. R. BRYANT PREFABRICATED MASONRY FIREBOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11, 1967 Charles R. Bryan! INVENTOR.

puny 3m United States Patent 3,460,525 PREFABRICATED MASONRY FIREBOX Charles R. Bryant, 202 Main St., Beech Grove, Ind. 46107 Filed Sept. 11, 1967, Ser. No. 666,865 Int. Cl. F24b 1/18; E04h 12/28; F23j 15/00 US. Cl. 126-120 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A prefabricated firebox assembled from reinforced masonry panels having inside brick facings. The floor panel mounts an ash dump assembly while a draft control assembly is mounted by the back panel with an outlet opening formed below a smoke deflecting roof panel extending at an upward incline from the top edges of the side panels.

This invention relates to the construction of fireplaces and more particularly to the assembly of a firebox from prefabricated masonry panels.

The construction of the firebox of a fireplace is relatively expensive from the standpoint of labor and materials. Prior attempts to prefabricate the firebox have met with difliculties in installation and operation of the firebox.

Successful assembly and installation of a prefabricated firebox has been achieved by the present invention resulting in a savings in material and labor as well as installational time. Further, a firebox is produced in accordance with the present invention of exceptional strength durability and pleasing appearance.

Prefabricated masonry panels internally reinforced, are

interfitted in order to form the firebox. The panels consist of a floor section, a pair of side sections, lower and upper back sections and a smoke deflecting roof section. The panels are fastened together when assembled by means of tie wires and tabs embedded in the panel sections and projecting therefrom adjacent the abutting edges thereof. The floor section is provided with an ash dump assembly while a draft control assembly is mounted on the upper back section for controlling the outlet opening formed between the roof section and the upper edge of the back section. When assembled, the firebox 'will readily fit any desired fireplace installation and exhibit a pleasing appearance. These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the assembled firebox constructed in accordance with the present invention. 7

FIGURE 2 is a transverse'sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 22 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 33 in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing the panel connecting means.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the draft control assembly associated with the firebox.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective View showing the disassembled panel sections associated with the firebox.

ice

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed from FIGURES 1 and 7 that the firebox generally referred to by reference numeral 10 is assembled from a plurality of panel sections. These panel sections are prefabricated from precast refractory material including fireproof cements and clays and are also reinforced internally. The panel sections consist of a floor panel 12 to which a pair of side panels 14 are connected and a lower back panel 16. Also interconnected between the side panels 14, is an upper back panel 18. The assembly is completed by a smoke deflecting roof panel 20. Each of the panels is provided on its inside face with brick surfaces including the mortar grooves 22 as shown.

The floor panel 12 is generally trapezoidal in shape and is adapted to rest on the cross wall foundation members 24 as shown in FIGURE 2 between which an ash chamber 26 may be formed below an ash dump opening 28 formed in the floor panel. As more clearly seen in FIG- URES 3 and 4, an ash dump assembly 30 having a pivoted closure plate 32 is mounted in the opening 28. Gas line holes 34 may also be formed in the panel 12 opening from the rearwardly converging side edges 36 of the panel in order to accommodate the installation of gas lines. As also shown in FIGURE 3, the panel 12 has internally embedded reinforcement rods 38 so as to impart the requisite tensile strength to the panel on which the other panels are supported. Thus, the side panels 14 rest on and extend upwardly from the floor panel adjacent the side edges 36. Also, the side panels 14 extend from the front edge 40 of the floor panel rearwardly toward its back edge 42 to form an enclosure.

Each of the side panels 14 is similar in construction to the floor panel 12 and includes a front edge 43 which is in a vertical plane with the front edge 40 of the floor panel and extends upwardly therefrom in perpendicular relation thereto. The bottom edge 44 of the side panel is accordingly at right angles to the front edge 43. A lower back edge 46 parallel to the front edge 43 is also formed on the side panel which is provided with a forwardly inclined back edge 48 extending from the lower back edge 46 to a vertex 50 constituting the intersection with a rearwardly inclined top edge 52. The top edge 52 is spaced from the front edge 43 by an offset 54. The lower back panel 16 extends'upwardly at right angles from the floor panel abutting the lower back edges 46 of the side panels while the upper back panel 18 abuts the forwardly inclined back edges 48. The back panels 16 and 18 are provided with mating edges while the upper edge 56 of the upper back panel 18 is spaced from the vertex 50 at the upper ends of the side panels 14 so as to form a rear outlet a base portion 60 supported between the offsets 54 on the enclosure formed by the firebox.

The smoke deflecting roof panel 20 is provided with opening 58 from which gas and smoke may escape from the side panels. Also, a roof portion 62 is provided which extends at an upward incline beyond the top edges 52 of the side panels on which the roof panel is supported. Thus, the roof panel protects the firebox enclosure from water or rain and upwardly and rearwardly deflects gas and smoke emerging from the firebox enclosure in such a manner as to prevent any backflow.

As more clearly seen in FIGURES 3 and 5, the interfitted panels are interconnected adjacent the abutting edges thereof by means of right angle tab elements 64 embedded in the panels and projecting therefrom. Each tab element is provided with an opening 66 through which a wire loop 68 extends so that the wire loops extending from adjacent tabs may be intercennected to hold the panels in assembled relation.

The upper back panel 18 mounts on its upper edge 56, a draft control assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 70. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 6,

the draft control assembly includes a right angle mounting bar 72 secured to the upper back panel having upstanding tabs 74 at the opposite ends thereof which mount a pivot rod 76. A damper blade 78 is secured to the pivot rod 76 so as to be pivotally displaced between a closed position engaging the roof panel 18 as shown by solid line in FIGURE 2 and an open position as shown by dotted lines spaced from the roof panel. The damper blade is moved between the closed and opened positions by means of a handle lever 80 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends by a tab 82 projecting from the mounting bar 72 and pivotally connected at its upper end to the damper blade. The handle 80 thus extends downwardly below the roof panel so that it may be readily manipulated so as to regulate the draft control opening.

It will be observed, that the front edges 40 and 43 of the floor panel and the side panels together with the base portion 60 of the roof panel form a common plane so that the firebox may be readily faced when installed in a fireplace. The side panels 14 are shaped to form the angular relationship between the back panels and the roof panel. The back panels not only form a back wall for the firebox but also act as a reflector of heat and conduct gas and smoke upwardly toward the outlet opening 58. The outlet opening is formed below the roof panel which extends beyond the side panels so as to direct the outflow of smoke and gases through the draft control assembly 70 and preventing any backflow as well as to prevent water from draining into the firebox when it rains.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A firebox construction comprising a plurality of interfitted panels, said panels including a floor section, a pair of side sections and a back section connected to the floor section and the side sections, and a smoke deflecting section supported between the side section at an upward incline vertically spaced above the back section to form a rearwardly opening outlet.

2. A firebox construction comprising a plurality of interfitted panels made of internally reinforced refractory material having grooved inwardly facing surfaces, said panels including a floor section, a pair of side sections and a lower section connected to the floor section, an upper back section connected to the side sections and the lower back section, and a smoke deflecting section supported between the side sections in spaced relation to the upper back section to form a rear outlet opening above the upper back section, each of said side sections being provided with a vertical front edge, a bottom edge substantially perpendicular to the front edge abutting the floor section, a forwardly inclined back edge to which the upper back section is connected, a rearwardly inclined top edge extending from the back edge supporting the smoke deflecting section thereon, said top edge being spaced by an offset from the front edge.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said smoke deflecting section includes a lower base portion received on said offsets of the side sections and an inclined roof portion extending upwardly beyond the top edges of the side sections.

4. The combination of claim 3 including connecting tabs embedded in said panel sections adjacent the edges thereof, and tie Wires interconnecting the tabs on adjacent panel sections where they abut.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a draft control assembly mounted by said upper back section within the outlet opening.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said draft control assembly comprises a mounting bar fixed to the upper back section, a damper blade pivotally mounted on the bar for movement between a closed position engaging the smoke deflecting section and an open position spaced therefrom, and an operating handle connected to the damper blade extending downwardly therefrom below the smoke deflecting section.

7. A firebox construction comprising a plurality of interfitted panels, said panels including a floor section, a pair of side sections connected to the floor section, a back section connected to the side sections and a smoke deflecting section supported between the side sections in spaced relation to the back section to form a rear outlet opening above the back section, each of said side sections having a front edge, a forwardly inclined back edge to which the back section is connected, a rearwardly inclined top edge extending from the back edge and supporting the smoke deflecting section thereon, said top edge being spaced by an olfset from the front edge.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said side sections is provided with a rearwardly inclined top edge portion on which the smoke deflecting section is supported at said upward incline.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said interfitted panels are made of reinforced refractory material having grooved inwardly facing surfaces.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said interfitted panels are made of reinforced refractory material having grooved inwardly facing surfaces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 576,942 2/1897 Bogert 52-285 1,069,944 8/1913 Haggard 126-120 1,150,044 8/1915 Leonard 52-583 1,629,012 5/1927 Trimble 126-120 1,671,434 5/ 1928 Mackay 52218 2,104,254 1/1938 Fogerty et al. 126120 2,808,824 10/ 1957 Cage 126120 FREDERICK K-ETTERER, Primary 'Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

